The above Washington Post article is interesting. It describes how the FCC is investigating the decision (by ATT, Apple, or persons unknown) to reject Google Voice from the iPhone. It seems the FCC has allowed wireless providers to be pretty arbitrary about accepting or rejecting equipment from their networks as long as they were providers of (effectively) traditional telephone service, but when the devices become internet access portals, the FCC wants to uphold the traditional view ("traditional" on the internet? LOL) that the internet is open and free to any gizmo that can hook up to it. So the decision to reject Google Voice is in conflict with the FCC's vision of the rules, and they are looking into it.

My opinion is that this may be a very big deal. Probably a good thing for us as consumers, as it will enable us to pick and choose devices and software that we want, rather than the stuff the wireless providers think is most profitable for them.

As a longtime Palm user who wants the Pre to be a big success, I'm not so sure it is a good thing for that narrow perspective. If Apple/ATT/whoever kept the iPhone tightly walled-off from many popular applications, it might drive some users to alternate devices, including the Pre! (Of course Android and other phones might benefit as well).

What do y'all think? I'm just a civilian with no expertise in this area.

Considering the amount of people that have flocked to the Iphone I'd say that the general consumer really doesn't give a ****. Tech geeks like us? Sure. Joe Blow on the street isn't going to change their purchase decisions in a major way because of it.